The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) Given Average Rating of “Reduce” by Brokerages

The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Reduce” from the fourteen research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have issued a hold rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $8.80.

Several research analysts recently commented on WU shares. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Western Union from $8.50 to $9.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Susquehanna raised their price objective on Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Citigroup upgraded Western Union to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Zacks Research raised Western Union from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th.

Western Union Stock Down 2.6%

NYSE:WU opened at $9.26 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $9.16 and a 200 day simple moving average of $8.68. Western Union has a 52-week low of $7.85 and a 52-week high of $11.94. The company has a market cap of $2.94 billion, a PE ratio of 4.04, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The credit services provider reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. Western Union had a return on equity of 60.85% and a net margin of 18.80%.The business’s revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.46 EPS. Western Union has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.650-1.750 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Western Union will post 1.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 22nd were issued a $0.235 dividend. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 10.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 22nd. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Giovanni Angelini bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $8.95 per share, for a total transaction of $89,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 186,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,673,041.40. This represents a 5.65% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WU. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its holdings in Western Union by 606.7% during the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 3,265 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 2,803 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in shares of Western Union by 260.7% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 3,593 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 2,597 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Western Union by 164.9% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,581 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 2,229 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in shares of Western Union during the 3rd quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in Western Union by 667.0% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 4,602 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 4,002 shares during the last quarter. 91.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Western Union Company Profile

Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments. The company enables individuals and businesses to send and receive money through a variety of channels, including its vast agent network, online platforms, and mobile applications. Core services include person-to-person money transfers, business-to-business cross-border payments, bill payment services and prepaid card programs.

Through its digital offerings, Western Union provides customers with the ability to initiate transfers via its website and mobile app, as well as track transactions in real time.